The invention concerns an apparatus for preparing granular material from hot, melted mixes and especially of the type in which a pourer is connected, via filter-containing conduits, with at least one mixing and melting device, the pourer positioned above a cooling conveyor which feeds to a crushing device, wherein the pourer comprises a heated tubular body provided on its underside with discharge nozzles arranged in one or several rows.
By means of such an apparatus, it is possible to process waxes, fusion adhesives, resins, aliphatic alcohols or the like into granular material and fill and package same.
The melt is transferred from the melting device to the pourer, or strip coster by means of the filter containing conduit. The pourer deposits the melt in strip-form onto the conveyor, whereupon it is cooled and carried to the crusher for a crushing treatment. The filter arranged within the conduit upstream of the strip caster ensures that foreign bodies are extensively kept out of the material which is delivered to the strip caster for discharge from the latter. It has been shown with practical installations that certain difficulties arise because, in the area of tube bends or cross section junctions or in the area of valves, there occur points at which the melted material transported to the pourer or strip caster from the mixing and melting devices can become clogged slightly. These clogs can be released from time to time and over to the pourer as clumps or fragments. This can lead to blockage of the discharge nozzles so that the production performance drops. Since the valves and pipelines are heated, it can also occur that the clumps of material become overheated and burn or harden and are no longer able to fulfill their purpose. There then exists the danger that the parts may become loose, are discharged and become worked into the granular material. This can lead to adverse effects on the quality of the material produced with respect to optical appearance and for function.
The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the initially mentioned type so that clumps and/or material damaged by temperature or the like are prevented from being discharged through the discharge nozzles.